There is a serious shortage of some prescription medicines in SWF and elsewhere at present. Common medications like ramipril, co-codamol, and dispersible aspirin are affected. Please see the attached generic NHS leaflet. Please do not blame pharmacy staff or GP surgery staff; it isn’t their fault.

Sunday 19 July 2026

Updated and new items come first

More than 2,700 people may have died from heat-related causes in England and Wales during the exceptionally hot weather in May and June, experts’ estimates suggest. The figure, from a team at Imperial College London, the Met Office and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, is based on what’s known about the dangers of extreme heat. Most deaths will have occurred in the June heatwave, when temperatures hit 37.7C (99.9F) at Lingwood, Norfolk, smashing the previous high of 35.6C set in 1957. A rare red heat alert was issued for parts of England including Essex, at the time, warning even healthy people of the significant risk to life. The study estimates that around 550 people died as a result of the heat between 21 and 29 May, and nearly 2,200 died between 18 and 28 June in England and Wales.

The heatwaves were caused by a “heat dome” – a stalled area of high pressure that trapped hot air over the region, say experts. The heat dome was made worse by human-induced climate change, the researchers say. This has warmed the planet by around 1.4C since pre-industrial times and scientists believe it added between 3 and 4C to the maximum temperatures recorded in May and June. Hot tropical nights added to the sweltering conditions, offering little respite. Many UK homes are not built to cope, leaving people vulnerable to prolonged, high temperatures.

Heat puts immense physical strain on the body, made worse if you are dehydrated, with the heart pumping harder and faster to cool you off. Babies and older people are among those most at risk of harm, as well as those with existing health conditions. It can lead to more heart attacks, strokes and other potentially fatal emergencies. Intense heat can affect anyone, including fit and healthy people, and is dubbed a ‘silent killer’ because early symptoms are easily overlooked. And when the hot air is very wet or humid, like it was in June, it’s more difficult for the body to cool down through sweating.

The Measles outbreak continues in north London and West Midlands. It’s spread into East of England. Parents should get children vaccinated and check children’s vaccination status.  In 2026 to 6 July 883 English measles cases have been confirmed (959 in whole of 2025), an increase of 82 cases since the last report on 22 June, mostly driven by the North London outbreak. Alarmingly this continues increasing. There have been 2 measles deaths in children in 2026. Essex is in danger from its neighbours.  

About one million parents are urged to book the new “four-in-one” jab to protect children aged from 12-months to 11 years old from measles who have missed one or both doses of the vaccine. They will be invited as part of the NHS England’s campaign which runs until March next year.

NHS Weekly News Items:

Warm weather and the World Cup have driven record NHS demand whilst satisfaction with GPs continues to bounce back. Record-breaking demand comes as new figures show confidence in GP services and pharmacy is bouncing back, with health bosses urging the public to take advantage of the full range of services available locally.

CEO Sir Jim Mackey said that staff looking at medical records for personal reasons or out of curiosity was “wholly unacceptable, a disgraceful breach of patient trust and against the law” and would not be tolerated by the NHS.

NHS urges people in their 50s to return bowl cancer screening kits as 100 cancers found each week. The latest annual bowel screening figures show that just over half (56.2%) of 54-year-olds took part in screening in the year April 2024 to March 2025, compared with more than 7 in 10 (73.5%) 70 to 74-year-olds.

The NHS is working with partners to remind festival-goers of the ongoing health risks so they can enjoy the festival and other events safely and responsibly this summer. A resource pack provides information on staying well during the 2026 festival season. It aims to support stakeholders to explain and promote key health messages for festival goers, including guidance on vaccinations, STIs, hot weather and general hygiene. It contains background information, statistics, key messages, suggested social media copy, social media assets, and links to useful information.

Wildfires are more common in the UK than many people realise, although most are typically small and last a short time. Hot, dry weather can dry out vegetation providing fuel for fires and increase the risk of wildfires. Climate change projections suggest we will see conditions more favourable for larger, more severe wildfires. An NHS blog explores why severe wildfires are becoming more frequent in the UK and how to cope with the health risks.

Appointments to get the lifesaving meningitis jab can now be booked at high street pharmacies, offering vital protection for 17 and 18-year-olds currently in the last year of sixth form and students under the age of 25 who are heading to residential colleges or university this autumn for the first time.

Young people urged to book lifesaving MenB vaccine

Last month Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and devolved nations announced that thousands of young people will get protection against meningococcal B disease (MenB) through a one-off vaccination programme launching ahead of the 2026 academic year.

The vaccines will be offered to:

• Everyone in England and Wales born between 01/09/2007 and 31/08/2008 (current school year 13) or equivalent final year of school age (Year 14 or S6) in Scotland and Northern Ireland. 
• Everyone turning 25 after 31/12/2026 who will be starting higher education for the first time, or who will be living in further education accommodation or halls of residence for the first time, in autumn 2026. This includes international students and students in the UK Devolved Administrations and Crown Dependencies.
• International students under 25 entering their first year of university should receive their first dose in their home country where possible.
• Two doses of the vaccine are needed for protection at least 28 days apart.
• 17 and 18-year-olds can book via the NHS National Booking Service for appointments at community pharmacies.
• Other eligible people can contact a participating pharmacy to book an appointment.

If you’re travelling abroad follow some simple steps to ensure you have a fun and healthy trip:

• Prevent mosquito bites using 50% DEET repellent, sleep under treated nets and wear long-sleeved clothing to protect against malaria, dengue, Zika and other infections.
• Food and water safety. Choose piping hot food, follow “boil it, cook it, peel it or leave it,” and wash your hands regularly.
• If visiting a malaria-risk area, take medication exactly as prescribed. Avoid buying antimalarials abroad, as they may be fake, substandard or intended for treatment rather than prevention.
• If you feel unwell abroad, seek medical attention immediately. Don’t wait until you’re back in the UK.

NHS England has updated its “Minimum standards for planned patient care” on 8 July. They set out what patients and unpaid carers should expect when we or someone we care for is referred for planned non-urgent NHS care in England. After consulting with representatives of patients, unpaid carers, patient representatives, clinicians and NHS teams this is the first time such a benchmark has been set. This is published on our website.

The NHS is also to overhaul patient communications and end the ‘farce’ of invitations arriving after appointments. Patients are to receive at least 3 weeks’ notice from the NHS for all new planned medical appointments. Under the plans, all patients will receive clear confirmation via the NHS App when their referral from their GP has been accepted by a hospital specialist and they have joined the waiting list. The notifications may also be sent by text and letter and will help patients track their referral through the NHS in the way that you can for online shopping. The NHS will also ensure a consistent ‘customer service’ approach for those on the waiting list, providing regular updates at least every 12 weeks to ask patients about their condition and whether there is any change in their needs – as well as providing advice on self-care while they wait and what to do if their condition worsens. Should patients need to reschedule their appointment at the last minute, hospitals are being asked to ensure a new appointment invitation is received within 28 days. Patients will also receive clear communications about the next steps agreed with their clinician once their treatment ends – including whether they will have a set timeframe for any follow-up appointments needed or be asked to book a follow-up when they need one (know as ‘patient initiated follow-up’, or PIFU). While the NHS will increasingly make the most of the NHS App to provide faster and more convenient communication for patients, existing traditional methods of communication –including letters, texts and phone calls – will continue to be available for anyone who needs them.

Hundreds of women with aggressive cervical cancer are to be offered a new immunotherapy on the NHS, which could help more women survive and stay cancer-free in the long-term. This means the cancer has grown beyond the cervix to regions such as the pelvic wall, but not yet spread further around the body.

Trials found that adding pembrolizumab to standard chemoradiotherapy helped keep cancer at bay for longer and improved survival rates.

A dozen cutting-edge projects will see thousands of patients across the UK benefitting from new approaches to tackling obesity. £85 million grant funding from government and pharmaceutical company Lilly for new approaches such as using AI tools to improve patient care. Round-the-clock virtual advice and AI-assisted triage among plans to bring care to underserved communities.

In May our hospitals at Broomfield, Basildon & Southend:

• Saw 73.9% (74.4% in April) of patients within four hours in our emergency departments, against the national standard of 78%. This is in line with the Trust’s target. Basildon was 76.1%, Southend 71.6% and Broomfield 72.7%. Nationally the performance was 75.7% and in the East of England it was 75.6%. Work continues to improve the flow of patients across the hospital sites using Same Day Emergency Care, and removing the need for corridor care

• The average time for ambulances to handover patients in May was 33 minutes (31 in April).  This compares with 33 minutes in East of England and 38 minutes nationally

• In April 59% (62.7%) of patients received cancer diagnosis results within 28 days, against a standard of 80% while 46.5% (54.2%) received their treatment within 62 days against a national target of 85%. This has stayed at a similar level to previous months. The Trust remains in NHS England’s Tier One process for cancer performance but continues with a focus on getting test results back as quickly as possible, ensuring pharmacy and teams preparing medicines have enough staff and focussing on priority cancer pathways. Factors including Easter leave, multiple bank holidays and industrial action have all impacted on performance.

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